By Ostrich
East northants,
United Kingdom 
I have an unproductive apple tree which is really in the wrong place (we inherited it) & to add insult to injury it is now smothered in woolly aphid.I have a tree surgeon coming next week to remove...(I have apologised to it) but would like some suggestions as to what to replace it with.
It would be in a mixed border (nothing too precious) with a wooden panelled fence as backdrop...I would really like to plant a "Bardsey Apple" there but I guess another apple not a good idea. I have a neighbour immediately the other side of the fence with nothing obvious growing there.. sounds a bit of a nightmare!!
28 Jun, 2019
Answers
That's a shame that a good fruit tree was left to fail like that? You could put in a specimen buddleia?
28 Jun, 2019
Is that a pear growing next to it? How about another one to help pollination & give some variety?
30 Jun, 2019
Thanks everyone....it has been productive in the past...not very good apples....yes it is a pear next to it with another pear beyond that.
Will consider Buddleia but that tends to grow a bit dense. Would really like something open & airy but everything I've looked at grows too tall....need restricted height of about 8 foot o/a of neighbours! Would want to plant a mature tree anyway.
30 Jun, 2019
How about a laburnum?
1 Jul, 2019
Just wondering if its unproductive for want of a pollinater nearby?
28 Jun, 2019